There are many things in this world that people strive to be called and there are just as many that we strive not to be called, and one of the very worst things a person can be labeled as is a thief.  However, as you’ll soon find out, quite a little bit of “fantasy” fun can be had participating in said crime, as you assume the role of the legendary thief, Garrett.

For those of you in the know, you know that this is Garrett’s third foray into the videogame world and you’ll pretty much know what to expect.  For those of you not in the know, the first and I guess most important thing to know is that before there was Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, or any number of other stealth oriented games, there was Thief.  Thief is the granddaddy of the stealth genre, with Garrett starting it all.

As you’ve no doubt guessed, Thief: Deadly Shadows is a stealth game that revolves around stealing various items and treasures located in increasingly difficult situations.  For anyone who has played either of the Splinter Cell games, you’ll be right at home in TDS, because this game is in essence Splinter Cell: Medieval Yesterday.  Just as Sam Fisher has done so expertly in his adventures, Garrett is a man who operates from the shadows and spends a great deal of time within shadowed nooks and crannies.  What’s interesting about TDS’s gameplay is that the choice is entirely yours as to whether you play the game from a third-person or first-person perspective.  Thief has always been a first person game, so I’m sure some of the “purists” might be a bit upset about this addition, but for those of us that get violently ill after playing first person games without the trusty Dramamine, allow us to rejoice.

Even better yet, the game is imminently playable from either view, an admirable feat.  I could find no real strengths or weaknesses from playing either way, so it really comes down to a matter of choice.  The gameplay is pretty straightforward.  You have a “light gem” that constantly relays to you how well hidden you are in regards to the depths of the shadows/lights you find yourself in.  Garrett comes with a few weapons including the handy blackjack, a dagger, and a bow with a variety of offensive and “stealth enhanced” arrows.  A couple of the arrows you’ll use in your adventure are the water arrow, perfect for extinguishing torches and cleaning bloodstains, and the noisemaker arrow, which you’ll use as a long distance diversion tactic.  In addition to his weapons, Garrett has a few other tricks up his sleeve to aid his stealthy nature, as well as for helping in escapes when you weren’t quite as stealthy as you should’ve been.  Some of these items are the explosive mine, gas bomb, and oil flask, all of which are pretty self-explanatory.

Where TDS really separates itself is in the freedom department.  TDS gives you a surprising amount of city to explore and or pillage, as well as branching missions, depending on which faction you are friendly with, which is decided by your actions in the game.  There are two main factions in the game, The Hammers and The Pagans, with a few subgroups within each.  This aspect of the games really adds a lot to not only the enjoyment of the game, but also in the replay value department.

Some of games strengths result directly from the technical aspects.  The graphics, while not quite up to the level of Splinter Cell, are pretty doggone nice with some pretty impressive lighting and shadow effects.  However, and some of you will be tempted to do this, if you turn the brightness level up even minimally the visuals quickly lose a lot of their luster.  The game’s environments are purposely dark to suit the subject matter, but it also appears as if it has been used as a sleight of hand of sorts to improve the graphics.  It’s hard to explain, but if you are interested in what I’m trying to relay, turn your brightness on your television up a couple of notches.  Playing at the brightness level that it is intended to be played at and the game is beautiful, but turn it up a little and it seems to fall apart.

The sound of this game is also pretty spectacular.  In the game, an emphasis is placed on listening to the conversations of those around you.  The dialog is all fitting to the time, place, and of course the current circumstances and you’ll be surprised at the variety of useful information you’ll garner, if you just take the time to listen.  Another cool aspect of the sound is the proprietary sound system the developer has utilized.  Sound is a huge part of stealth, and the game constantly takes into consideration your environment, as well as the distance between you and the next closest set of ears.  For example, if you get into a brawl in a large, open stone hallway the sounds of battle are going to carry for miles, so you can quickly expect reinforcements.  On the other hand, if you battle a guard in a small room closed off with a heavy wooden door, well, you can certainly get away with murder, while singing about it at the top of your lungs, and a guard just outside the door will likely be oblivious to your handiwork and crooning.  (No, you really can’t sing) This system works like a charm and is a very cool addition to the gameplay.

Finally, the game also excels in the story department.  While in most games you’re presented with a bare bones story merely for the sake of giving you some abstract reason for what you are doing, but Thief is different.  You’re presented with a very compelling, well thought out story that keeps you driving forward.  As simple as this may sound, the story of the game really will add a lot to your enjoyment of this game, as well as helping with the immersion factor.

Thus far, I’ve detailed all of this game’s considerable victories, but it’s not without a few warts.  My main complaint is that Garrett is a horrible fighter.  You’d just think that someone of this nature would have no problem taking care of himself in a physical battle, but sadly he does not.  I know, I know, he’s a thief and therefore his focus should be on not being seen at all, negating the need for hand to hand combat.  But poor Garrett is very easily overcome by the game’s baddies.  It’s not a huge problem, but it will bug some, if not most of you.  Just remember this bit of advice, “Run and hide, don’t fight!”  One other gripe that I have is that sometimes on some missions, you’ll be left wondering just what in the heck you’re supposed to do and just where in the heck you’re supposed to be going.  Granted this is due to another of this game’s great positives, the sheer size of the environments and the game world, but it can be a bit frustrating at times.

In closing, TDS is a very solid effort that would make for a worthy addition to anyone’s library.  If being the anti-hero in a fairly dark, mature tale, then this game is certainly for you.  Fans of the stealth genre as a whole, will find an awful lot to like about this game, as it is one of the best executions of this type of gameplay.  Now, to be a little more precise, diehard fans of Splinter Cell, may want to approach this game with a fair bit of caution.  This isn’t because it’s not a very good game, because it is, but there’s no denying that you’ll feel as if you’ve already played this game in a different era.  There are a ton of similarities between the two games, from the mechanics of the gameplay, to the lurking from well-executed shadows, to picking locks in a manner that is very much the same.  However, if you’re not a fan of the quickly becoming over crowded stealth genre, then steer clear.  There is nothing that will change your mind here because the game relies so heavily, even more so than the others, on the stealth mechanic.

Gameplay: 8.4

For the most part, the gameplay is tight and very engaging.  However, you will run into a somewhat “wonky” camera at times that will hinder your progress.  Also, Garrett is severely lacking in the self-defense department.

Graphics: 8.5 
The graphics are very nice, so long as you play the game on your default brightness setting.  This can be a bit hard to do, as some of the environments are suitably dark, but fight the urge and leave the graphics dark and impressive.

Sound: 9.0
The sound for the most part is outstanding.  The voice work is top notch and sounds react realistically to the environments.  The music is suitable to the game.  The only real complaint is that it is a bit “quiet”.  I had to crank my surround sound system far beyond what is normal for most games just to clearly hear the conversations.

Difficulty:  Medium
The game features several very well defined difficulty settings, allowing any gamer a difficulty comfortable to them.

Concept: 8.0 
Without the unique sound mechanics of this game; the score would have been a point lower.  From the granddaddy of the stealth genre, you can’t help but to expect it to be somehow different from everything else in the genre.  The problem is that it is too much like that “other” stealth game that’s burning up the current sales charts.  Ion Storm played things very safe, delivering a solid, compelling game that doesn’t do much we haven’t already seen.

Overall: 8.7
Thief: Deadly Shadows is a worthy successor to the old Thief games, following the natural progression of the genre it started.  It doesn’t stray too far from the conventions of today, but there is no doubt, at least in this reviewer’s opinion, that this is the best Thief game to date.  It’s a game that is very enjoyable and compelling all the way around and certainly should warrant a look from fans of the genre, as well as those who’ve yet to get their feet wet in the stealth genre.